Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-02-17-Speech-4-110"
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"en.20000217.4.4-110"2
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"Madam President, the work of the ACP-EU Joint Assembly was coloured in 1999 by growing concern about the sustainability of the cooperation models derived from the Lomé Conventions. Back in 1994, the Joint Assembly passed an initial resolution, in which our fellow Member Dominique Souchet was closely involved, expressing its alarm at the foreseeable consequences of the Uruguay Round, which contradicted the very principle of Community preference which was fundamental to this cooperation. These fears have been taking shape over the last two years and the banana row is the clearest expression of them. The developing countries are asked to fall into line with the liberalisation of trade, despite their vulnerable economies.
Although Mr Corrie’s report roundly condemns this situation and reaffirms the Joint Assembly’s attachment to the Lomé model, he fails to highlight properly a second problem which, to tell the truth, is also the result of the free-trade error, namely the incoherence of the regional trade agreements signed by the European Union. The cooperation agreement with South Africa is a prime example. The Council approved the agreement negotiated by the Commission despite the fact that a basic section, namely agriculture, had not been finalised.
As Paul-Marie Coûteaux rightly said in his intervention yesterday and in his proposed amendments, one wonders exactly what political coherence this blank cheque represents. It is most worrying, especially as a similar agreement with Mexico appears to be taking shape.
Nor is it possible to support the rapporteur’s call for the European Development Fund to be merged with the Community budget. We want to maintain the clear commitment and the responsibility of each Member State, which is made possible by its intergovernmental nature. Alas, there have been far too many instances of collective aid for which no-one feels responsible being derailed and we do not want to extend this disastrous system to the EDF."@en1
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